Shrimp and Pasta Shell Salad Recipe

Recipe by: Chef John

"When I want to make a macaroni salad just a little bit extra-special, nothing does the trick like some small, sweet shrimp. This is one of my favorite summer salads, and it's oh-so-easy."

Directions
Ingredients
Nutrition

Directions

Prep25 m
Cook10 m
Ready In2 h 35 m

1Whisk 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; add lemon juice and 1/3 cup chopped dill. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate.
2Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and stir in pasta shells; cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool pasta slightly; drain again. Transfer to a large bowl.
3Toss shrimp with pasta; add red bell pepper, celery, and dressing to pasta and shrimp. Mix thoroughly to coat and fill shells with dressing. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 3 hours.
4Stir salad again before serving and season to taste with more salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper if desired. If salad seems a little dry, mix in a little more mayonnaise. Garnish with paprika and sprigs of dill.

Footnotes

Cook's Notes:
Salt the pasta water until it tastes like seawater.
Small shrimp are about 100 per pound.
You can add chopped onion, capers, olives, and bacon and use as a base for grilled salmon.
Tip
Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.

Ingredients